Film wrapping or packaging machines or apparatus, for wrapping articles, packages, or palletized loads within wrapping or packaging film, are of course well known in the art. Examples of such film wrapping machines or apparatus are disclosed within U.S. Pat. No. 6,195,961 which issued to Turfan_on Mar. 6, 2001, U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,691 which issued to Turfan on Aug. 4, 1998, U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,807 which issued to Morantz on May 21, 1996, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,796 which issued to Haloila on May 13, 1986. In addition, or in conjunction with the aforenoted patented disclosure, it is known that there are several different types of conventional film wrapping or packaging machines. Briefly, for example, a turntable type film wrapping or packaging machine is disclosed within FIG. 1 and is generally indicated by the reference character 100. In accordance with such a turntable type film wrapping or packaging machine 100, a palletized load, not shown, is adapted to be placed upon a turntable 102, and a wrapping or packaging film dispensing carriage assembly 104 is movably mounted in a vertically reciprocable manner upon an upstanding standard or support mast 106. Accordingly, as the palletized load is rotated around the rotary axis of the turntable 102, and as the wrapping or packaging film dispensing carriage assembly 104 is moved in a vertically reciprocable manner, either from its uppermost position to its lowermost position, or from its lowermost position to its uppermost position, the wrapping or packaging film, dispensed from the wrapping or packaging film dispensing carriage assembly 104, wraps or packages the palletized load within the wrapping or packaging film.
Continuing further, a rotary arm type film wrapping or packaging machine is disclosed within FIG. 2 and is generally indicated by the reference character 200. In accordance with such a rotary arm type film wrapping or packaging machine 200, an upstanding framework 202 effectively defines a film wrapping or packaging station 204 at an axially central portion thereof, and a palletized load, not shown, which is to be wrapped or packaged within film wrapping or packaging material, is adapted to be disposed at such film wrapping or packaging station 204. A rotary arm assembly 206, which is rotatably mounted upon an upper frame member 208 of the up-standing framework 202, is adapted to rotate around the film wrapping or packaging station 204, and a wrapping or packaging film dispensing carriage assembly 210 is movably mounted in a vertically reciprocable manner upon the rotary arm assembly 206. Accordingly, as the rotary arm assembly 206 is rotated around the film wrapping or packaging station 204, and as the wrapping or packaging film dispensing carriage assembly 210 is moved in a vertically reciprocable manner, either from its uppermost position to its lowermost position, or from its lowermost position to its uppermost position, the wrapping or packaging film, dispensed from the wrapping or packaging film dispensing carriage assembly 210, wraps or packages the palletized load within the wrapping or packaging film.
Lastly, a rotary ring type film wrapping or packaging machine is disclosed within FIG. 3 and is generally indicated by the reference character 300. In accordance with such a rotary ring type film wrapping or packaging machine 300, an upstanding framework 302 effectively defines a film wrapping or packaging station 304 at an axially central portion thereof, and a palletized load, not shown, which is to be wrapped or packaged within film wrapping or packaging material, is adapted to be disposed at such film wrapping or packaging station 304. A rotary ring member 306 is rotatably mounted upon a frame member 308 so as to rotate around the film wrapping or packaging station 304, and the frame member 308 is adapted to be movably mounted in a vertically reciprocable manner upon the upstanding framework 302. In addition, a wrapping or packaging film dispensing carriage assembly, not visible, is fixedly mounted upon the rotary ring member 306. Accordingly, as the rotary ring member 306 is rotated around the film wrapping or packaging station 304, and as the frame member 308 is moved in a vertically reciprocable manner, either from its uppermost position to its lowermost position, or from its lowermost position to its uppermost position, the wrapping or packaging film, dispensed from the wrapping or packaging film dispensing carriage assembly, wraps or packages the palletized load within the wrapping or packaging film.
Regardless of which type of conventional film wrapping or packaging machine is utilized to wrap or package palletized loads within wrapping or packaging film, an operative objective of the film wrapping or packaging process or procedure is to ensure that the strength of containment, or the holding together of, for example, multiple portions of the overall palletized load, is adequate or sufficient such that the different portions or sections of the overall palletized load do not separate from each other. A similar operative objective of the film wrapping or packaging process or procedure is to likewise ensure that the strength of containment, or the holding together of, for example, the entire or composite palletized load upon or onto the pallet per se, is also adequate or sufficient such that the palletized load does not separate from the pallet per se.
It has been determined that one means for achieving the aforenoted objectives is to effectively form the film wrapping or packaging material into a rope in view of the fact that the rope effectively exhibits enhanced resistance to stretching and tearing. Accordingly, if such a roped film was to be utilized in conjunction with non-roped film wrapping or packaging material, the entire composite film wrapping or packaging material, comprising the roped and non-roped portions of the film wrapping or packaging material, could significantly enhance the ability of the film wrapping or packaging material to hold uneven, sharp, pointy, abrasive, unstable, and heavy products upon the pallet. In addition, by applying or securing the roped film around both the pallet load and the pallet per se, the pallet load would be effectively fastened to the pallet per se so as to prevent the separation of the pallet load from the pallet per se, and in addition, could render the entire pallet assembly much more resistant to tilting, vibrating, shaking, and instability. The operative problem, however, is that, to date, no viable means has been developed in order to in fact achieve the formation of such a roped wrapping or packaging film during the film wrapping or packaging operation in order to in fact achieve the aforenoted procedural objectives.
A need therefore exists in the art for apparatus for forming roped portions of film wrapping or packaging material during a film wrapping or packaging procedure or operation whereby such roped portions of the wrapping or packaging film can be applied to strategic portions or sections of the palletized load in order to maintain different portions or sections of the palletized load together, or to fixedly maintain the entire composite palletized load upon the load pallet.